Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided-Chapter 186. War Council

186. War Council

How quickly the atmosphere had shifted from joyous camaraderie to a solemn war discussion.

“And what of my father?!” Astrid asked coldly.

“Admiral Lume is currently on board the flagship and heading to Thylin as we speak,” Severan reported, one of his hands folded behind his lower back.

“Damn it… I have to be there,” Astrid grumbled, struggling to control her temper.

Zetius puffed out his chest bravely. “I’ll go with you, Astrid,” he said with confidence.

Astrid smiled faintly at him. “Of course. I couldn’t refuse a strong man like you.” She turned to see her armoured arcanists, who were bowing.

“The Flame of Aries is at your command, Lunarius Astrid,” one of them vowed, his voice resolute.

“Very well,” Astrid replied, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

“If I may…” Friederich stepped forward from the crowd, along with Cartier and Triss. “Let me join the battle. We have a score to settle.”

The elven mage in white went to Zetius, and they exchanged a light fist bump.

“Ladies and Gents! The Lioness and I shall aid you in this epic battle!” Cubie chimed in, perching on Frain’s shoulders.

“Let me join, too!” Aurelia exclaimed, grabbing Zetius’s wrist. Her red eyes shimmered, almost as if she were pleading.

“Aurelia…” Friederich was quick to argue, but Zetius waved him off.

“Aurelia, you know your strength… I’m not saying that you aren’t meant for the battlefield, I can’t let you join us,” Zetius began, his voice soft and gentle. “Because you’re invaluable to the people of Solis Aeternum… and to me,” he added, his fingers brushing against her silky hair.

“Zeta… But, I…” Aurelia drew her lips into a thin line. The softness of his touch sent her into a daze she couldn’t escape. Her mind clouded.

“Please, Aurelia. I can’t lose you,” Zetius insisted bitterly, and abruptly pulled her into a hug. “Stay, my princess.”

Caught off guard, she gasped. Cubie zipped around them merrily. “Aurelia, don’t worry! We won’t be long!” she chirped.

“If you say so… Come back to me alive. Got it? Aurelia whispered reluctantly, her nails digging into his clothes, unwilling to let go. “You too, Cubie?” She turned to pat Cubie.

“Affirmative, Aurelia. I’ll not let you live through that again,” Zetius vowed, and he snuggled closer.

Her senses took in everything. The warmth of his body, his deep, spicy fragrance, and his muscular frame. She wanted to remember it all for as long as she breathed. She wanted to say more, but her mind was already far away, as if the world had stopped spinning just for that moment.

Before she knew it, Zetius parted from her and patted her head gently. “Thank you, Aurelia,” he said with a broad smile.

Awkwardly, the Flame of Aries pretended to glance at a tree as if it were a fine specimen.

Astrid cleared her throat loudly. “Now that’s settled, we’ll need to figure out the logistics.”

“I suggest teleportation!” Aurelia exclaimed, nerdily lifting a finger. “To ensure you don’t exhaust your mana reserves, I also propose performing a mana-channelling ritual so all of you can be teleported to the closest location.”

“That’s not a bad plan at all. I’m impressed, Aurelia,” Friederich interjected, nodding calmly.

“And then, Sandria could send her vessels to pick us up!” Zetius agreed, hitting his fist into his palm.

“Halt! That is too risky!” a voice echoed from the distance, its tone carrying an air of authority and command.

“Astral Empress?” Cartier exclaimed, surprised.

Empress Aurora approached them with haste, her expression solemn.

“Empress, may I ask why?” Aurelia probed, twirling a lock of her hair in confusion.

“I fear there is a greater force at play here. This is not just a mere clash of machines,” Aurora clarified, which didn’t resolve their puzzlement. “I suspect something far more ancient and malignant is behind the Umbral.”

Aurora glanced back at Triss and Cartier, her expression hinting that it was time to tell them the reason for her arrival.

Briefly, she delivered a concise speech about the prophecy. The crowd hummed softly in response to her tone. Her words carried weight, her presence drawing them in like a supreme leader.

“The sixth apocalypse… The champion of Gaia… I wonder if I’ve heard that phrase somewhere,” Cubie whispered into Zetius’s ear.

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“Now is not a good time. It's not worth mentioning yet, Cubie,” Zetius hushed. He recalled the events inside the Dreamless Realm and his meeting with the Moirai — Titaness Lacheryn and Atropaia.

“Still, I don’t understand…” Aurelia asked, frowning.

“Because we cannot let anyone know your location, Princess Aurelia,” Aurora spoke up calmly, exhaling sharply. “For example, if Ignius, or something far more evil, knew your exact location, they might attack this place and kidnap you to exploit your gift.”

“What gift?” one of the men asked, scratching his helmet.

“Hush, this is not your concern,” Astrid barked, crossing her arms sternly.

Seeing the unease in their eyes, Empress Aurora concluded, “Very well. It seems everyone has a good grasp of what we are up against, thus far.”

Aurora then took Cartier's hands. “Triss, Cartier, with me. I must make haste to my castle. Some insolent fools have decided to march on my door,” she explained calmly.

“What did you just say, Empress?” Severan choked, his eyes widened. “Someone is attacking your castle?!”

“This is surreal!” Astrid grumbled under her breath, frustrated.

“Affirmative. I will deliver them to their graves with urgency, then I shall rendezvous at Thylin to provide support on your front,” Aurora spoke decisively, as efficient and pragmatic as ever.

Her glowing palm extended towards the empty ground. Soon, the air shifted and whirred with energy, and the outline of a doorway formed.

“We appreciate your kindness, Astral Empress,” Lunarius Severan bowed low in full reverence.

“See you later, everyone!” Cartier waved, heading toward the portal.

Behind them, Triss bowed with reverence. “My deepest apologies that our visit has been cut short…” Her eyes lingered on Friederich before she disappeared into the portal.

Empress Aurora glanced over her shoulder, her gaze sweeping over everyone before settling on Zetius. “This feels more like a well-organised attack to me… so be careful.”

Then the portal snapped shut behind her, sending a gust of wind whirling around them.

The awkward silence didn’t last long, as the group erupted into a wild discussion about their next course of action.

“Now our logistics plan is a no-go! How are we going to get there?” Astrid grumbled, exasperated.

Her Lunarius ring pinged loudly, and she instantly answered the call.

“Good afternoon, my dear Astrid.” Admiral Lume appeared on the screen, wearing his uniform and admiral hat. The shuffling noise of hurried personnel and the ship crew came from the background.

“Father!” Astrid exclaimed with surprise. “Are you heading to Thylin right now?!”

“Yes, my dear. Our high-resolution radar has picked up a massive Arcanite signature there, converging on the Zeigerlich battlecruiser,” Admiral Lume explained, his voice firm.

“Father, I have gathered a decent party of Arcanists here. Let us join you!” Astrid urged.

Lume smiled broadly. “Of course, love. I’ve heard you haven’t quite worked out your logistics, have you?”

“Yes, father,” Astrid admitted, her face downcast.

He chuckled fondly. “Look at the sky, Astrid.”

The whirring of Armatus mobile units hummed in the distance. The war machines circled overhead before beelining towards them, dragging massive containers with metal chains. All heads turned to the sky in puzzlement.

Stepping back from the group, Lunarius Severan motioned for his constructs to notify the Armatus mobile suits. In the air, they slowly lowered the hoisted container.

The container shell hissed open, revealing a sleek, dark craft. The Arcanite engine rumbled as it powered up. With a hydraulic hiss, the wingspan expanded to almost fifty metres wide. Its four massive thrusters were mounted atop the delta wings. Despite its size, the design featured a sharp, pointed nose and a curved body for extreme aerodynamics. This was, without a doubt, the king of the sky, and perhaps even space.

“Father, it’s finally here! The X-12 QuiHST!” Astrid ran her fingers over its smooth surface, admiring the craft.

“Godspeed,” Admiral Lume beamed, and the call cut off.

“X-12 QuiHST?” Cubie probed, intrigued.

“It stands for Quiet Hyper-Sonic Technology, the latest addition from the big brains at the Ouranos research facility,” Astrid answered with a smirk, pointing at the glossy logo ‘ORT 7th’.

“Hmm… That’s the first time I’ve heard of that facility,” Zetius muttered, looking at Aurelia.

“Well, it’s not very well-known to the public. To put it simply, they were the ones who designed the P.N.I. systems. The so-called ‘puny bots’ that you used to work with,” she replied patiently.

“Oh… so they also designed a lot of the advanced tech for Solis Aeternum, including the flagship?” he asked.

“Correct!” Aurelia beamed and nodded.

Cubie searched through its glossary and then froze. “Ouranos was the research facility for space exploration and aeronautics. Notably, they also designed the P.N.I. bots and contributed greatly to the construction of Luna Base,” it read aloud.

“That’s so cool!” Cubie exclaimed with excitement, inspecting the brilliance of its design.

“Will it fit all of us?” Frain asked while Cubie performed a scan.

“Come on, everyone. No time to waste, board the thing!” Astrid bellowed, gesturing at them.

Zetius, Aurelia, and Lunarius Severan remained behind to allow themselves a moment of tranquillity. Zetius locked eyes with Aurelia, holding both of her hands in his. The look in her eyes hinted at how much she needed him, even for a minute longer.

“You promise, right?” Aurelia said, sniffing, her eyes glittering as though she were about to cry.

“I do,” Zetius responded with conviction. “Once the Umbral falls, the world will be a much better place… for us.”

“But you are hardly ready…” Aurelia said, her voice trembling as fear crawled into her heart.

Zetius cradled her cheek gently. “Warmongering mages are never truly ready for any battle, Aurelia. I promise I’ll be cautious.”

“What if… what if…” she whimpered, her body trembling.

“Have faith in me, Aurelia,” Zetius said, his voice velvety. He guided her by the shoulder to look at the others stepping through the metal ramped door. “I’m not alone. Look how strong our allies have become. Friederich, Frain, Cubie, and Astrid, a fully-fledged Lunarius of war!”

“Please keep them out of trouble, alright?” Aurelia pleaded, adjusting his collar.

“I will,” Zetius committed to heart. Only then did a faint smile tug at her lips.

Only Zetius’s fire could burn that fear away.

“Ahem! Worry not, Zetius. I shall keep her safe, you have my word as the Lunarius and the dean of Arcana Institute,” Lunarius Severan winked at him.

Zetius nodded appreciatively before turning and boarding the X-12 Q-HST. Each step carried a promise he could not break. His fiery eyes blazed as he met Astrid’s gaze at the door.

“Time for their reckoning,” Astrid muttered.

"And an end to their reign of terror," Zetius added, exchanging a fist bump with her as the door swung upward and closed behind them.